Arizona’s big education race just got a potential dark horse
The race for superintendent of public education may be one of the most important in Arizona. And the contest just got a lot more interesting with Jonathan Gelbart in the mix. I know. Jonathan who? He’s 28 with no major political support. His election may be a longshot. But his presence could turn this race — and the statewide debate on the future of education — on its head. No, really. Stay with me here. Education will define state races in 2018. People are fed up with how our schools are funded and regulated. Many people are pressing for big-league change.
But incumbent Diane Douglas doesn’t have the ability to bring it, and most people know that. She has been a non-voice (or a generally ignored one) in critical school funding and voucher debates.
Not surprisingly, her approval rating among likely voters is a paltry 15 percent.
Douglas already has two GOP challengers: Maricopa Community Colleges board member Tracy Livingston, whose husband is a conservative state lawmaker, and Frank Riggs, a former California congressman who ran unsuccessfully in 2014 for Arizona governor.
But the anti-Common Core conservatives who swept Douglas into office are already starting to line up for Riggs and Livingston, which means they’ll likely split that base. And that could make Gelbart the dark horse if he can successfully leverage:
His charter-school background. Gelbart oversaw the recent expansion at Basis schools, the charter-school chain that boasts some of the top-ranked schools in the nation (he resigned his position to campaign full time).
Some have criticized Basis’ success, saying the schools score well because they are far more selective than district schools. But Gov. Doug Ducey routinely praises them for their rigor and holds them up as the kinds of schools Arizona needs to expand. Gelbart’s views about charter schools and his role in expanding Basis could appeal to conservatives, even if Ducey stays out of the primary (he has his own education battles to fight, after all).
His message. Gelbart is saying all the right things about education being at a crossroads. Automation and artificial intelligence are changing how we work, he explains, and schools need to better prepare students for this future.
Gelbart says district schools deserve the autonomy that charters have to make decisions and pilot programs that can improve achievement. He wants to remove the government red tape that holds schools back and is open to expanding Proposition 301, the state’s soon-to-expire sales tax.
Gelbart needs to flesh out these ideas (he says more details are coming soon). But if he can articulate a thoughtful plan to better fund education and improve student achievement, he’ll appeal to business types and moderates — two critical groups for winning a general election that have not yet lined up for Livingston or Riggs. Which brings me to the final point:
His age. Imagine the matchup if Gelbart were to prevail in the primary and face Democrat David Schapira, who is 37, in the general (that’s assuming Schapira beats teacher Kathy Hoffman in the primary, of course).
Schapira is a Tempe City Council member and assistant superintendent at the East Valley Institute of Technology. He’s also a former Tempe Union High School District board member.
Such a matchup would undoubtedly force a conversation about how (or whether) we can solve the inequities that divide district and charter schools and hold public education back.
But more importantly, the race would be infused with youth and energy, one that showcases how the next generation intends to move education forward in Arizona.
Both are debates I’d love to see.